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CARMONA CITY, Cavite — This agricultural city turns livelier in the next few days as it revives an old tradition called Sorteo, also known as Sorteo ng Bukid ng Bayan Festival, a public lottery where names of farm workers are drawn by lots and given a piece of communal land to till.
The festival, a triennial cultural and harvest festival of Carmona City held in the month of February, takes place from Feb. 14 to 23, 2025.
The festival was started way back in 1861 or four years after the formation of Barrio Latag which is now Carmona.
SORTEO FESTIVAL Farmers and rural women in this photo taken in 2019 are expected to join the Parade of Floats highlighting the famous Sorteo Festival — a triennial event in Carmona City where farmers will be given lands to cultivate through drawing of lots — from Feb. 14 to 23, 2025. FILE PHOTO
It was separated from its mother province in 1857. Carmona is the only municipality in the Philippines that observes a triennial draw of its communal lands among its locals — a practice that dates back to the country's Spanish colonization period.
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It is celebrated every three years from Feb. 16 to 22. Since Carmona was basically agricultural, the communal agricultural lands were offered to the farmers for cultivation through a lottery.
The local government here led by Rep. Roy Loyola and Mayor Dahlia Loyola will open the festival with the 27th Loyola Cup Golf Tournament to be held at Southwoods Golf Course and a photo contest on Valentine's Day.
CarmoNegosyo and 19th Dahlia Street Dance will be performed on Saturday, Feb. 15. Thanksgiving mass is set on Sunday, Feb. 16, at St. Joseph Parish. There will also be National Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability Awareness Week celebration; Basketball with the Stars; and the Gintong Tinig, Gintong Himig 2025 Grand Finals.
The opening of Sorteo Festival on Feb. 17 will see a parade of floats along the city proper. The Binibining Sorteo Talent and Swimsuit Night and Bingo Night with Parents-Teachers Association of Carmona will also be held.
A formal inauguration of the city's infrastructure projects is also scheduled.
Meanwhile, the Music Development Drum and Lyre tilt is slated Feb. 18.
Also included are the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) job fair; Binibining Sorteo 2025 coronation night; a fireworks display; and the Sorteo draw on Feb. 19.
Other highlights of the festival include motorcade and youth summit on Feb. 20, Kadiwa ng Pangulo on Feb. 21, Palaro ng Lahi and Kite Flying Festival on Feb. 22, and the second cityhood anniversary celebration with inauguration of some infrastructure projects of the locality on the last day of the festivity.
